Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of seed carriers and, more particularly, to a seed carrier with a pivoting conveyor.
Description of the Background Art
Seed carriers, also referred to as seed tenders, are used by farmers to transport seed in bulk from one location to another during agricultural operations. For example, a seed carrier may be used during planting season to transport seed from a delivery truck to the field for delivery to planters and seed drills. Seed carriers typically include a storage bin or container mounted on wheels or tracks so that the seed carrier can be towed behind a tractor, and a conveyor for unloading seed from the container into another implement, such as a planter or seed drill. Recently, a new type of seed carrier was introduced in which the conveyor is movable about a pivot joint between a self-loading position and an unloading position. See U.S. Pat. No. 8,221,047, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The conveyor in this new type of seed carrier includes an intake end with a hopper and a discharge end. In the self-loading position, the intake end is spaced away from the container to receive seed from a delivery truck or storage bin and the discharge end is located above the container to dispense the seed into the container. In the unloading position, the intake end is located beneath the container to receive seed from the container and the discharge end is spaced away from the container to dispense the seed into a planter, drill, or some other farm implement disposed alongside or near the seed carrier.